In the Womb of the Leaves
by Writer for the Tylwyth Teg
Summary: AU. In the little village of Berk, women are second class citizens and are taught love doesn't exist in marriage. Astrid is no exception, but she despises her fiance and yearns for freedom. It seems that the womb of the forest births many strange things, including a feral young man and his black wolf with three legs.
1. In the Womb

**A/N: I'm going to tell you all a few things up front. For one thing, this story will contain smut. Lots and lots of copious, graphic, delicious, yummy smut. Don't like it, don't whine at me and waste my time. The back button is right up there, just back away slowly and I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.**

**Another thing, this story is living in its own little strange AU world. That means, don't look for any real plot, morals, etc. Just accept my brand of weirdness as it comes and roll with it. If you don't accept it, eh, see above. **

**However, if plotless AUs and smut don't bother you, welcome aboard. You're in for an interesting trip.**

_In the womb of the leaves,_

_on the branches of the trees,_

_lies the treasure of the morning,_

_the pearls of light. – Within Temptation, Pearls of Light_

A storm eighteen years in the making was flashing and raging its way over the hill and towards the forest on the edge of the village of Berk. Though this storm was not made by the weather of the world, it wasn't any less deadly. Ask anyone who knew Astrid Hofferson and they would confirm it to be true.

And they would also tell you that the idea of marriage and Astrid mixed about as well as a cat and water.

Berk was a tiny place where the population consisted of a few groups of families and newcomers were a rarity, disdained strongly actually. Everyone knew everyone and marriages were practically a cornerstone of the village's existence. They were events that everyone was involved with somehow and pairings were decided by the parents at birth. Girls were married off as soon as they bled for the first time and often popped out their first baby soon after. The boys they married got children, heirs, and a constant source of sex, and the families of the girls received a sizable dowry and peace of mind for their child. Everyone won.

Except the girls.

Astrid flattened the innocent grass, angry at it that it had the nerve to sway so peacefully and stand so proudly when her life was such a pile of shit right now. The words of her parents were still ringing in her head with the same pitch as the blade of a guillotine falling.

"_Do you want us to be a laughingstock? We've already put off your wedding to Snotlout for as long as we can. Ruffnut is your age and she and Fishlegs already have two children!"_

"_You're turning into an old maid, and before you know it you'll be beyond your childbearing years. It's for your own good you know, love."_

"_We won't hear anymore arguments. We've been hearing them for years and our ears are bleeding from them. You've run out of excuses. You're getting married next spring and that's final."_

Spring was coming to visit her for the eighteenth time. Next spring her world would end. Eighteen years and suddenly Astrid had no time.

She had made it quite clear what her feelings were for her intended. In fact, she made it quite clear that she didn't have _any_ feelings for him. Yet, his actions in response proved he was either just that stupid or arrogant. Knowing Snotlout, it was probably a combination of both. It was funny how he acted like he owned her. He said things like, "Might as well get used to tying my shoes, Astrid, you'll be doing it all the time soon," "Ugh, you really need to work on your cooking, who's going to make me my meals? I'll starve!" and her favorite, "Aw, but you have such a nice ass! And we're getting married anyway, so it already belongs to me, why won't you let me touch it?"

In fact, one such incident had caused her current wrath. Minutes ago, Snotlout had pulled her flush against him and tried to force into her a kiss, and without even thinking she had brought her knee flying up between his legs, sending him in a swoon to the ground. As he curled up holding his injured crotch, she glared down at him and happily didn't find any shits to give.

"You touch me again," she growled, "and next time I'll send your balls flying up your goddamn throat!"

With that, Astrid had taken her furious leave, barely catching the sound of footsteps, the sound of someone helping Snotlout to his feet, and then Snotlout's father's voice commenting, "Don't worry. After marriage it gets easier because you can always shove a dick in their mouth as soon as they open it to complain."

It had taken all of Astrid's self-control not to swing around and deliver the same treatment to the father that she had delivered unto is his son.

Instead, she took out her rage on innocent wildflowers and tree bark, kicking up he flowers by their roots where they innocently soaking up the sun and punching off sheaves of loose tree bark. Astrid felt bad; she loved nature, especially this forest. It was a nurturing womb that picked up the slack when her village failed her. And it was a place she could go to be alone because everyone was afraid of it.

Here, she could be herself; a wild-eyed, crazy haired, spitfire who constantly looked toward the clouds and imagined that she could fly away.

Here, she could imagine herself as someone who was free.

Astrid ripped off her head-cloth once she was in far enough and fought with her tightly braided bun, trying with shaking fingers to wrench it free. Eventually she succeeded, ripping a chunk of it out in the process, but feeling only relief when her poofy blond mane escaped its confines and spilled across her shoulders. If she could have, she honestly would have ripped off her long dress and run naked through the woods; it was getting too warm to wear something that covered her down to her ankles, and the constraint and covering of her body like it was something shameful _when it was just her body_ was a horrible symbolism she was desperate to escape.

For now, she accepted the feeling of the breeze blowing across her scalp in a completely liberating way, and felt the sun warm her face without fear of someone calling her an "improper whore" just because she wasn't afraid to swear like a man or knew how to start a fire. The sun shone golden in some parts, and reflected off the leaves in others turning the light green. It was a protective embrace that completely accepted her for who she was, and Astrid felt her pulse slowing and taking on the pulse of the trees instead.

Astrid wandered in deep, her body aware of her desire for escape without her mind comprehending how far she was going. She wasn't afraid of getting lost, though. She knew these woods well enough and had taught herself (no thanks to her father, who thought it wasn't proper for a lady to acquaint herself with anything having to do with the woods) how to read the signs the forest showed her to find her way home. Even if she didn't, she began to think perishing in the wilderness would be less painful than going home to see her intended's face again.

Suddenly, a dry, whimpering rasp, akin to the sound of a tree in pain, was carried to Astrid on the breeze. She froze, wondering if perhaps she was hearing things. But no, a few moments later, there it was again, and it was quite obviously not part of the natural hum of the forest. In fact, the noise sounded like…

…like _words._

Yes, they were definitely words. They were pathetically weak sounding and just barely audible, but in the stillness of the afternoon it was possible for Astrid's ears to pick them up. Someone was speaking, either to themselves or someone else. The voice was so dry and soft that she couldn't even tell accurately if the person speaking was male or female. So, Astrid began to follow the voice, hesitantly of course.

However, the clink of what sounded like a chain and the whimper that followed forced her legs to move faster. Was the person hurt? How badly? What would she do when found-

Astrid rounded a copse of trees, and nearly ran straight into the jaws of a furious black wolf.

She gasped and skidded to a halt, all but wetting herself in her sudden fright. The wolf was _massive_, the size of a small horse, green eyes flashing, teeth bared, snarling loud enough to scare some birds out of a nearby tree. Astrid knew wolves lived in this forest; that was the whole reason people were too afraid to come in it. But she had never ventured far enough in to actually run into one. All she could do was freeze and pray that it would tear out her jugular quickly instead of playing with her first.

But the wolf wasn't charging.

It was then that she also noticed that this wolf had three legs instead of four, the left hind one gone completely. What on earth...?

Her vision had blurred momentarily when her terror had overcome her on initially seeing the wolf, but now that it cleared, she realized the wolf was standing over something.

No. Some_one. _

There was a person lying between the legs of the wolf, but he or she wasn't moving, and for one moment Astrid thought the person was dead. But then the body shifted slowly, lethargically, as if the effort was a herculean agony, and the head rolled over to regard her through the wolf's legs.

The first thing Astrid noticed was that the person was male; his hair was long but the scruff on his jaw and throat gave him away. And she had never seen him before, so that meant he was definitely not part of the village.

And he looked like he was very sick and in a tremendous amount of pain.

Looking down to his feet revealed why: his left foot was caught in a rusty hunter's trap.

Oh gods…how long had he been trapped there, Astrid wondered? The rusted state of the trap meant that its owner had obviously forgotten that it was there, so it was never checked. It also meant that time had covered it with leaves, grass, and dirt to the point where it was virtually invisible to even the sharpest eyes. No wonder he had been caught in it. Being covered with rust also meant that it was nearly impossible to wrench open, even if you had opposable thumbs.

Astrid felt torn with indecision. The wolf was still there, standing over this strange person, but now she realized that his hunched posture and the fact that he was sticking so close to him meant that he was protecting him, which boggled her mind in itself. But what was she supposed to do? She couldn't bring him back to the village. It was too far away and the villagers would probably kill him the moment they saw him since they were so afraid of strangers. What if he was dangerous though? Should she just leave him to die, or find some way to put him out of his misery?

His eyes met hers, and even from a distance Astrid could tell they were green, and they were making a desperate plea for her help. They were so big in his ashen face, bangs framing his face heavy with fresh sweat and other strands of his hair crusty with old sweat. He looked like he had a fever, a bad one, and Astrid wondered if his leg was infected. And…he was so _young_, just barely on the cusp of adulthood.

There was an instinct she believed all humans had, even though her family thought she was ridiculous for thinking so. She believed all humans had the instinct to not want to see another one of their kind die, that they naturally wanted to help each other. And Astrid let this instinct guide her slowly towards the young man in the trap, even as the black wolf's snarling increased the closer she drew towards him.

"Shh," she shushed, "It's okay, it's okay. I want to help. He's hurt. I can help. Please…"

At her words, something in the wolf's expression shifted. His body became less tense and his snarl relaxed just a fraction. Astrid crouched and turned so that she was moving sideways, exposing her side to her side to him. At that, the wolf put his teeth away, but still didn't move from his protective stance. He let her come closer. Astrid was so close to the boy she could reach out and touch him if she stretched out her arm.

Once she got that close, she stopped, glancing down from the boy, up to the wolf, and back down again. She tried to convey her honest intentions, and was shocked to see her own soul reflected in his green eyes. The wolf understood her.

However, that did not mean he trusted her. He bared his teeth once more in warning, before stepping aside and allowing Astrid near the young man under his feet. Once she was beside him, she kneeled down and placed a hand on the side of his face, turning it toward her. The eyes that met hers were cloudy with pain and exhaustion, and his skin felt unbearably hot. Yes, he definitely had a fever, and letting her gaze travel down to his trapped leg, it was easy to see why. The boy had torn away his pants leg and tried his best to tie the pieces around what he could see of the wound, but it had obviously done little good. Puss oozed slowly from where the teeth of the trap bit into the soft flesh, and certain places had been turned black. His leg was infected, and his body was trying to fight the infection by making it too hot for the bacteria to live in his body. But in doing so, it had probably burned away his fat reserves and left him terribly thirsty. He looked too weak to stand even if she got him out, and she wondered how long he had been stuck here.

First thing was first. She had to get him out of this trap.

Asrid tried prying the jaws apart, but it was useless. They were stuck tight. Then she wondered, if she could get the young man to help her, maybe they could pull together and get him unstuck.

"Hey," she began, but upon looking over at him she could see that his eyes were fluttering shut, lips an alarming shade of grey. He was fainting on her, and she didn't know if he would wake up again. Feeling terrible, she jolted him awake by punching his injured leg, and he woke with a groan of agony so awful his breath was stolen under the weight of it.

"Sorry," Astrid apologized, "But I need your help for a minute. Help me pull on this trap and we'll see if we can get you out."

It took a long time for his eyes to focus on her, and he looked like he was on the verge of fainting again. But after a moment, he sat up with the help of his wolf, and grabbed onto the jaws of the trap. His sides heaved with the effort, and a whimper of pain and unfathomable fatigue leaving his throat. The whimpers tapered off into something that sounded very dog-like, and Astrid felt too stunned to respond at first. The black wolf whined back at the boy, and began to lick his cheek frantically.

"Hands on the trap," Astrid tried to sound comforting even as she began to panic, "And when I tell you, pull _hard_."

He began to shake and bit his bottom lip until he drew blood. Astrid tightened her grip and steeled herself.

"Now!"

With everything they had, the two of them yanked on the jaws of the trap, the wolf even latching his teeth on one end and pulling as well. Eventually, half of the trap broke under the force and the rust, and Astrid went sprawling backwards. Free at last, the young man pulled his foot out, scooted a few inches away, and collapsed again. His sides heaved like a horse that had just finished a race, and his temples were slick with sweat to match.

Alright. Now she had to see what was wrong with him and get him to a safe place where she could take care of him. His only option would have to be someplace deeper in the woods. There were several deer here that often liked to rest in thickets. Perhaps there would be an unused one she could borrow?

"Hold on just a little longer," Astrid said to him, "I'll be right back."

He only responded with more breaths that whistled unpleasantly in and out of his lungs.

Astrid raced off, only to return luckily a few moments later with her hands cupped with a bit of water. The boy hadn't moved, and she kneeled down so that she was sitting at the top of his head. Much of the water had been lost in her mad dash, but there were a couple swallows left. The boy's eyes were open and regarding her, and she held her hands over his parted lips. A drop ran down her fingers and landed on his dry bottom lip. His tongue began to work, feeling the moisture and trying to figure out how to get it. He finally reached up with a trembling hand and pulled her hand down so that the water could run into his mouth. Once the water was swallowed, he licked and sucked at her fingers, looking for any lingering drops. Astrid felt her stomach clench, both at the strange sensation and the sudden realization that he probably hadn't had any water in a while.

Pulling her hand away and tucking it into her armpit (why was the back of her neck prickling so?) she said, "There's a thicket not too far from here. It's very sheltered. You'll be safe there."

Suddenly, he reached for her hand, making those funny, dog-like whines and adding some yips as well. Astrid wondered at that moment if he understood her at all. But still, she supposed it didn't matter if he understood her words at the moment or not. From the way he laced his fingers through hers and bowed his head submissively against the grass so that all she could see was the top of his head, she knew at the moment he trusted her. Even if it was only because she was the only one around to help him. What possessed him to trust her so easily?

Astrid began to lift him, practically draping his torso over her shoulders. She grunted with the effort, lifting with her knees so that she didn't throw out her back. Veins popping and face red, she managed to get him off the ground and somewhat upright. But then a shriek from him that nearly blew out her eardrum and almost made her drop him made her stop, and forced her to look down awkwardly for the source of his discomfort.

And then she saw it. The leg was clearly broken as well.

Shit.

It would just mean Astrid would have to extra careful in bringing him to the thicket and not expect him to help her any by walking. So, using all of her strength, she instead hooked his arms around her neck so that she could hold them in front of her chest, allowing his legs to dangle. She hunched over as she carried him, trying not to let his legs drag on the ground. However, he was taller than her, so this was difficult. His wolf followed their slow progress, hobbling along by his friend and soothing him with licks and sympathetic whines whenever the boy would let out a yip of pain.

Finally, they made it to the thicket, a small clearing lined with soft moss and leaves on its floor and canopied by branches thick with leaves on its walls and ceiling. Once Astrid placed him inside, the boy curled up in a fetal position with the last of his strength. Shafts of sunlight were filtering in through the leaves, turning the inside of the thicket yellow and green. Dust motes floated in the air where the sun was visible. One pearl of light caressed the young man's forehead while another speared his injured leg. He glowed with the light of the earth and became part of it as more blood and pus leaked out to be soaked up by the dirt. And in one crazy moment in this little womb, to Astrid, he was transformed into an image of ghastly beauty.

In one moment, her heart that had previously danced with the forest took in the boy's russet hair outlined in nature's halo and his grey, cracked lips, and screamed at her, _Whatever you do, don't let him die. Even if it's the last thing you do, save him._


	2. We're Only Passing Through

_With every breath,_

_and all the choices that we make_

_we're only passing through _

_on her way – Within Temptation_

Hiccup woke from what felt like a long, deep dream that, not only was he not aware he had worked himself into, but also felt that he would never be able to come out of. His subconscious had churned feelings of intense agony, desperation, hope, and exhaustion along with images of a girl with blond hair all in her face and a golden halo of sunlight behind her head in a dizzying, nauseating hot swirl. The darkness would blink in and out, revealing more images surrounded in the haze of dreams so that he wasn't sure if they really happened or not. He thought he remembered a hot ache in his bladder that had made him whimper pathetically because he knew he was too weak to get rid of it until the girl had appeared and helped him relieve it. There was also an instance of extreme pain and fever where he might have cried loud enough to hear the sound echo off the trees. He may have also grabbed onto the girl with desperate, adrenaline filled limbs and hid his face in her dress' skirt as if he could hide from the pain that throbbed with every beat of his heart in his leg.

But he couldn't be sure if any of that happened. Hiccup was sure that he was waking up now though, and he felt as if he had been chewed, swallowed, and thrown up by something. He smelled faintly like urine and his mouth tasted a bit like vomit, and his stomach was clenching and unclenching with the rhythm of a pulse in the strangest alternating sensations of hunger and nausea. Slowly, he became aware that the leg that had been trapped was wrapped tight in bandages from his calf down. There was also a wooden splint that prevented any movement of his ankle. So he must have broken it. That would have explained the pain. And that also would have made sense given that the trap had slammed on his leg with the force of a hammer.

There was a warm body pressed against his back, and without looking he knew it was Toothless, faithful to a fault. The wolf would never leave Hiccup; even if Hiccup sent him away (he would die before he would), he would still find a way to follow him and protect him.

As he woke up more, Hiccup became more aware of all his pains and the intense feeling of weakness that permeated every deflated cell in his being. It was so bad that it hurt, and he found himself making little whining noises from this as well as his injured leg. It was then that he noticed that he was clothed only in his tunic, which barely covered his rear. In fact, he could feel the air caressing his bits and bare legs, but sadly couldn't bring himself to care.

Leaves rustled from somewhere at his feet, and Toothless lifted his head sharply. The girl from his dream suddenly appeared in the large shaft of light coming in through the thicket he found that he was laying in. When she found his eyes glittering back at her, her expression changed into one of skeptical relief.

"Are you actually awake this time?" she asked.

Hiccup groaned a reply, breathing purposefully through a wave of pain; it was as if his leg was still stuck in the trap. He found himself wishing his mother was here because he was scared, sick, and wasn't sure how to handle this amount of pain on his own.

The girl looked confused by his indiscernible response, but concerned by how pinched his face was. Hiccup watched her reach for a wet cloth and place it on his forehead, dampening his bangs and cooling his hot skin. With another cloth, she methodically wiped the sweat off his body, and Hiccup found himself relaxing and blinking his gratitude at her. That felt…nice. He noticed her hesitation over washing his rear and thighs, but didn't understand it.

Toothless snorted and nudged Hiccup with his wet nose. A smile broke out over his face, and reached an arm around the wolf, making raspy growling and whining noises that had Toothless breaking out into a doggy grin and wagging his tail. At least Toothless hadn't been the one caught in the trap; once had been enough for his wolf friend. He couldn't afford to lose another leg.

"Um…"

His flickered back to the girl. She was hunched over in the tiny thicket, surrounded by odds and ends that looked like they belonged in a healer's hut. A head scarf covered her head, even though Hiccup remembered her hair being unbound in his dream. So she had been taking care of him?

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

He didn't answer her. Honestly he was more focused on her eyes and how they trapped a point of the sun's light and used it to light up her face. He was used to not saying a whole lot but still being able to communicate what he wanted with his body. He and his mom often spoke this way. After all, verbal communication wasn't very useful in a pack of wolves that spoke with their bodies. But maybe it was important with people? Was that the girl was eyeing him like she expected something out of him?

Alright then. Hiccup sat up slowly, the cloth falling off and everything shaking, until he was looking her straight in the eye. He then bent his head, and touched his nose to hers. When she didn't move, he gave her nose and cheek a couple of quick licks that made her jump. He pulled back to look at her face, and he noted how shocked and uncomfortable she looked. Uh oh. What did he do wrong? That was how the members of his pack greeted each other, it was completely normal! But perhaps…perhaps she didn't know that? Of course not, she didn't look like she came in contact with wolves often, unlike him. The layers of furs he dressed in to keep out the cold was covered in spit that refused to wash out, and his shoulder length hair was often wild from play-fights and hunts. Yes, that had to be it. Hiccup allowed a genuine grin to spread across his face.

"It's alright," he said, "I was just saying hello. I didn't mean you any harm. It's how I greet all my friends."

She raised an eyebrow, and looked quite disturbed for some reason. "Your friends? Wait, you can speak?"

Hiccup tilted his head. "Yes? And yes, I have many friends in my pack. The pack my mother and I are a part of."

She was silent for a couple of moments, before she replied, stunned, "You're a…part….of a wolf pack?"

Hiccup nodded. "For as long as I can remember. So what's your name?"

She shook her head, as if what he was saying was a bug she needed to shake off. "Astrid."

"Astrid!" he replied excitedly, "I'm Hiccup! You have pretty eyes."

"Uh"-

Before she could say more, Hiccup dipped his head and began to sniff at her neck, her temple, and up by her head cloth. He felt Astrid tense, but she didn't move, so he kept up his exploration of her, getting to know her by getting to know her smell.

"How many summers do you have, Astrid?" Hiccup asked, eyeing her head cloth critically. He couldn't see any of her hair while it was on her head, and this bothered him.

"E-Eighteen," she answered him, and Hiccup could feel her trying to twist her head around so she could see what he was doing more easily.

"That's how many I have!" Seriously, why did she feel the need to hide her hair? His mother never did. She let it flow wild and long, and Hiccup was used to this. Besides, it was easiest to learn the scent of a person by smelling their hair. He began to paw at the head cloth, searching for a way to take it off. He did not expect the hard shove she gave him to accompany the action. It sent him practically sprawling on the mossy floor, limbs everywhere and shirt riding up embarrassingly. However, apart from Hiccup adjusting it to cover himself more (he noticed that Astrid grew a little calmer when he did this) he didn't move until she spoke.

"Don't do that," she ordered, shaken, "Don't ever try to take that off again."

Hiccup tilted his head at her while laying down, Toothless sniffing him to make sure he was alright. "Why? I just wanted to see your hair."

Astrid shook her head, "You can't."

"Why not?"

"You just can't. No man other than my father has seen my hair, and until I get married, no one is allowed to."

"Married? What's that mean?"

"It's…you ask a lot of questions."

Hiccup regarded her for a moment, feeling sorry that he had offended and annoyed her so. He liked it better when she had smiled at him and wiped his face so tenderly. He blinked at her rapidly for a moment, before he rolled onto his back and looked at her with huge eyes filled with as much remorse as he could muster.

"M'sorry," Hiccup apologized, "The only other human I've been around is my mom. There's a lot I don't understand about how they work."

"I can see that," Astrid observed, one side of her lips quirking up in reserved amusement. Hiccup added in a pitiful whine, and her smirk turned into a full-fledged grin that Hiccup found himself returning involuntarily. "Look, Hiccup, you should be careful with your leg for a while. It's broken and recovering from an infection. It'll take several weeks to heal, but in order for it to heal you need to keep it still. But the good news is you get to keep it. If I had found you even a few hours later, I might not have been able to save it."

A harsh twinge in his leg pinched Hiccup's face up again, and he forsook his position on his back to instead curl up on his side again, overcome by the pain. Astrid's hands were instantly back to work, working to soothe and Hiccup was amazed by how much she wanted to help him despite the fact that all he'd done was make her uncomfortable and angry. What was wrong with him? He just wanted to be friends with her. She was so pretty and being so nice to him.

"Chew on this," Astrid told him, placing a piece of wood near his face, "It's willow bark. It should take the edge off the pain."

"Why are you helping me?" Hiccup asked as he took the willow bark and began to chew it. He shuddered from the taste; it was unnecessarily bitter.

Astrid brushed his hair away from his eyes. "Instinct, I think. I didn't want to see another person die. I'd never be able to sleep again. There was also…I can't explain it…"

Hiccup chewed with more purpose, trying to ignore the bitter juice. "Try. I'll listen."

For some reason, she knew he would. "You looked scared. Trapped. It was all so surreal, surreal enough that it made something in me latch on to something I saw in you. Something earthy and real, a fear I could relate to. It made it all the more important that I free you. It made me think…maybe you're here for a reason."

Hiccup went silent, finally swallowing the bark-flavored saliva that had collected in his mouth and spitting out the bark itself when the flavor had gone away. After a few moments he could feel it working, taking away the pain in increments. It made his body go soft and a sleepy feeling washed over him. When he had been in the trap, sleep had been patchy at best and impossible at worst, and now that the pain was beginning to go away, he felt unimaginably tired, too tired even to come up with a response to Astrid's observation. The sun was warm in his hair and Toothless had slid under his head and shoulders, sensing the shift and creating a nice pillow for his friend.

"Rest for a while," Astrid told him softly.

"Mmm." Hiccup curled up into a ball, snuggling against Toothless' fluffy coat and letting the heady smell of pine warmed by the sun soothe him. Separated from his mother for the first time in his life and frightened though he was, there was something oddly safe and comforting about this little thicket, its moss and leaves, and the girl at its entrance. It was all so ethereal and natural that he couldn't help but trust it completely.

He coughed, throat suddenly feeling very dry and keeping him from relaxing any more. "Astrid? Can I have some water?"

"Mhmm." Astrid cupped her hands together and dipped them in a bowl full of water by her thigh. Leaning forward, she brought them to Hiccup's lips, watching the way he turned his head toward her and parted his lips. The water was clear and cool and he gulped it enthusiastically, once again making sure to lick every drop off of Astrid's hands. He actually held her hands in his to make sure she wouldn't pull them back, even chancing to suck on one of her middle fingers. Her hands were very soft and cool and tasted like rainwater…

Astrid yanked her hands out of his grasp, placing them in her lap and clenching them between her tightly closed legs. Hiccup wondered if he had done something wrong again and guilt prickled in his throat.

"Rest," Astrid insisted.

But in the end, his body was too exhausted to let him dwell on it. But he really didn't want the kind, pretty girl to go. "Stay?" he said entreatingly.

She nodded, and let her legs slide down and out in front of her, keeping her hands in her lap.

Hiccup's last feeling as sleep swallowed him was one of contented safety, and his last thought was that he wanted to make Astrid smile as much as he could because he liked the fluttery feeling in his belly that manifested whenever she did.

Long after he fell asleep, Astrid was still observing him and trying to sort through the million things he had made her feel in such a short period of time. Oh gods above, what had just happened? The hot prickles that had poured into her belly and groin still hadn't disappeared when he had sucked on her fingers, and a throbbing sensation had taken residence in her core. Where on earth had that come from though? Hiccup was pretty strange, somewhat offensive, but also sweet and curious. She could tell he hadn't meant to scare her; he just wanted to interact with her and be friendly and this was the only way he knew how, apparently.

Astrid had heard of children getting lost in the woods and becoming feral, but she had never seen one before. But he hadn't been alone. He had mentioned his mother, so where was she? Perhaps if she asked, he would tell her.

She sighed. Before she had been so busy rushing back and forth between the village and the forest salvaging supplies from the healer's that she hoped wouldn't be missed. When she wasn't doing that, she was working frantically to save Hiccup's life and his leg if she could. This was the first time she was able to observe him. At rest with the lines of pain erased from his face, Astrid decided he was rather…well beautiful wasn't the right word, but it was all that came to mind. Men weren't beautiful, but he was, and it wasn't even just his outsides. He was such an anomaly to the village and to her that she couldn't help but find that beautiful. He was a bit scruffy and his hair was a bit long, but it was a pretty color, even prettier since she had wiped a wet rag through it to clean it earlier. His eyes were innocent and full of light. They were so much different than the eyes she was used to seeing; black pits of close-mindedness and hypocrisy. And the way he had made her body ache with a longing so strong she could only describe it as an earthy desire to devour him-

She…needed to spend more time with him. Learn more about him. Find out what he was about.

Learn what the hell was wrong with her.

Astrid glanced out the thicket opening and watched as the wildflowers blew in the breeze, the sun glancing off of them. A rabbit chewed on clovers, and Astrid shook her head. These symbols of fertility surrounding her were not helping her. Neither did the fact that every time that damn kid shifted and sighed in his sleep she could feel heat stirring in her gut and throbbing in her groin all over again.


	3. The Search For Enlightenment

_Carried away by the truculence of my world,_

_I got lost in the search for enlightenment – Pearls of Light, Within Temptation_

After several days of good food (at least the food managed to swipe from her family's kitchen. She found Hiccup was especially fond of the sweet things she brought him) and plenty of rest, the feral boy began to show signs of recovery. He stayed awake for longer periods of time and showed Astrid the true extent of his language skills.

In other words, he never shut up.

Surprisingly though, she found she didn't mind talking to him. He didn't talk about mindless, trivial things like the people in Berk did. He liked to ask questions mostly, lots and lots and _lots_ of questions. But he stretched Astrid's brain and forced her to think, and she liked that. He didn't talk about the weight a neighbor had put on, or the fact that someone had put up a fence across the street. His questions usually tackled deep moral things that Astrid had always wondered herself, things such as:

"Why do the people say they hate wolves when they've never spent any time with them?"

"How come women wear dresses and men wear long pants when the sun shines so warmly? Don't you get hot?"

"That makes no sense. Why just have women make clothes and have babies? My mom is as strong as a horse, she could easily do the work of ten men in your village. Seems a waste to me."

And so on. When he found time to breathe, Astrid managed to ask him what he was doing here so far away from his pack, and he told her that he and his mother had had an argument, he had stormed off with Toothless and the two of them had been separated in a storm. He had been gone from home for quite a while, long enough to the point when he did return home, she and the pack were nowhere to be found. So now he was looking for her, but had obviously run into a bump in the road when he had gotten caught in that hunter's trap. When Astrid promised she would help him look for her, his face had lit up in a way that made her happier than she could remember being in a long time.

She did finally explain the concept of marriage to him one afternoon while she combed through his hair in an attempt to tame it. He had abandoned his shirt in favor of sitting outside the thicket and feeling the sun on his skin while Toothless slept beside him, head on his knee while Hiccup absently petted him. He seemed to understand marriage well enough. Wolves often mated for life too, he said. What he couldn't understand was the concept of arranged marriage, and he seemed absolutely horrified by the idea that Astrid was in one.

"Why would you have your mate chosen for you?" he gasped in outrage, "What if you hate them? That's so stupid!"

Astrid shrugged and dragged the teeth of her comb purposefully against his scalp. Hiccup's eyes shut against his will and his shoulders slumped in relaxation. It was embarrassing how good her brushing his hair felt, not to mention the hot blood that pooled in his lower stomach. He needed to keep his head around her, not go into heat every time she touched him.

"They're chosen by our parents," Astrid answered, "They know what we need to have a good future better than we do."

Hiccup growled in annoyance, a real dog's growl that sounded like Toothless when Hiccup had tickled his feet pads with a flower the other day. "Wolves don't do that. If a male is trying to mate with a female and she doesn't like him, she'll rip out his throat, and the male isn't stupid enough to keep trying. He wants to live to see the next breeding season."

Astrid laughed, "They're smarter than men then. What makes a good mate for a female wolf?"

Hiccup paused, only because she was running her fingers from his forehead backwards, collecting strands of hair on her journey. It sent an electric jolt straight between his legs, and he bit his tongue to hold back a groan of pleasure. He also crossed his legs for good measure to hide the bulge that was slowly but surely forming.

"Well…the friendliest ones usually have a better chance," Hiccup said after a swallow, "They're cautious and approach the females with care, and the females appreciate that. They're also confident and protective. That's important because it means they'll be willing to protect their mates and pups later on."

Astrid nodded, humming in thought. She had pulled half of Hiccup's hair behind his head before she began to plait it into a tight braid. When he tried to turn his head to see what she was doing, she ran her fingers up through his hair from the base of his neck to the top of his skull, causing him to shudder and a moan to finally loose itself from him. She smirked triumphantly, happy that he was distracted again, and continued her work. After a moment, Hiccup must have felt the need to fill the silence to cover his slip, because he asked her another question.

"What's your mate like?"

She paused in her braiding, gritting her teeth. "He's not my mate yet," she said tensely, "Next spring we'll be married." 

"Oh. Sorry."

"No, it's alright. He's…let's just say he's like those male wolves who deserve to have their throats torn out."

"That's awful! You shouldn't be marrying him if he treats you so badly."

"You're right. I shouldn't."

That was another thing she liked about Hiccup; he was very honest, whether he meant to be or not. His opinions left no doubt as to what they were and were very simple in their logic. It made talking to him very easy, and by extension, made being his friend very easy. Perhaps that was why she felt comfortable doing something so intimate as touching his hair only a few days after knowing him. One thing was for sure. Hiccup didn't seem to be complaining.

"And done," she announced as she tied the end of the braid back with a band.

Hiccup went into a panicked flurry, coming out of his horny, happy daze and patting the back of his head rapidly while his eyes widened to twice their size. Toothless was thrown off his knee, and the wolf went somewhere more still to lay down again.

"Why!?" he squeaked, "My hair was fine!"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "No it wasn't. I couldn't see your eyes. Oh hold still you twitchy monkey."

She grabbed his wrists and held them between them, the action forcing him to turn around and face her. Astrid gulped at the pretty face that was revealed to her, bright green eyes framed by bangs that were too short to go back into the braid. Her gaze traveled down his face, which was long and covered in freckles, to the scruff that covered his upper lip and jaw. The column of his throat was smooth and pale, and she noted the Adam's apple there, a sign of his masculinity, and his pulse fluttering in the large vein there. His collarbone looked delicious enough to lick, even more so when it sloped to the expanse of flat, bare chest, such a contrast to her chest with its full, small breasts. His nipples were dark and pert in the chilly air and _oh gods above what would they taste like?_

Astrid cleared her throat. Her surprised face morphed into an impish grin, and she brushed the fringe away from his forehead. Her fingers tingled as well as her tongue, as if a string that wasn't there before suddenly connected them.

"I like this much better," she said quietly. Hiccup nodded in agreement.

He never took that braid out of his hair.

000

It was the end of the second week, and Hiccup was getting restless, trying to push himself on his feet, only to be told to sit by a certain blond haired girl with her hands on her hips. He obeyed, but not without growling under his breath about it. So Hiccup was very antsy and searching for topics of conversation to take his mind off of it. That must have been why Hiccup nervously asked her why she covered her hair.

"The same reason I have to wear this dress," she had answered, feeling shy, "Modesty."

Hiccup was reclining on his back, looking at her with curiosity all over his features. Astrid, who was sitting up about a foot away from him and trying to keep their lunch away from Toothless, had learned to love and fear that expression. It meant he wasn't satisfied with her answer and was about to ask a million follow-up questions.

"Modesty about what?"

"Our bodies. If you show a lot of skin and if women show their hair, it's considered very sexual."

Hiccup's mouth dropped open and one eyebrow raised in a comical expression of disbelief. "But it's just…your body! It's a bunch of organs covered in skin that work together to keep you alive. Yeah, reproduction is a part of that, but a very small part. And why do women have to cover their hair? Why not men?"

Astrid shrugged. "I don't know Hiccup. That's just how it is. My parents told me I had to cover my hair when I was a little girl, and all the other women have their hair covered, and that's just how it is. Letting your hair down for anyone is the same as getting undressed in front of them."

"What's so bad about getting undressed in front of people?"

"Never mind. The point is…it's something that's very intimate that you don't do for just anyone. Only for certain people."

Hiccup rolled over, sitting up halfway, before guessing, "Like a mate?"

"Yes, like a mate."

They were quiet for a minute, before Hiccup mumbled, almost to himself, "Is that the only way you'll let me see your hair? If we're mates?"

Astrid laughed, giddy with the (ridiculous?) idea. "That's right," she said promptly.

"Oh." Hiccup laid back down again, and stared at the sky, drifting deep into thought.

He was quiet for so long that Astrid actually jumped when he spoke again. His voice had a dreamy quality to it, as if he wasn't meaning to speak out loud, but something inside him thought the world needed to know what he had to say.

"Your village is turning women into objects," he observed solemnly.

Astrid just stared at him incredulously. "Objects?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. Objects. Like a blanket, or a comb, or a shoe. Except you're an object for men. They use you for sex, and then cover you up when they're not using you instead of letting you be you. Instead of letting you be free, they break you so you won't try to escape."

He shook his head in disgust, before meeting her eyes. Astrid saw something in them that she had never seen before: fear, but fear directed _for_ her and not at her.

"I don't want you to be broken, Astrid."

She was taken aback at that, not only by his last statement, but his view on a manner he didn't have any experience with. It was so simple in its logic that it was profound. Not that Astrid didn't already know that women weren't the same after marriage, but hearing it be put this way frightened her, because he was absolutely right. This was her future if she married Snotlout.

"You've got to free yourself," Hiccup pleaded, "You've got to free yourself before it's too late."

She shook her head helplessly, and when she answered him, her voice was small and deprived of hope. "The only way I could do that was to be unfaithful. But even if I was, I'd still have to marry Snotlout. He needs me to give him an heir. After that…I suppose he'd be able to do whatever he wanted with me and no one would fault him for it."

Hiccup sat up and shifted over to her until he was by her side. Without warning, he wrapped his arms around Astrid and crushed her to his chest. Surprised, she hesitated, before hugging him back, finding she could bury her face in his shoulder quite easily and happily did so. He smelled clean, like moss after a rain shower. Like the mountain under the moon.

Like freedom.

"You saved my life," he said with conviction, "You're still saving my life. So I'll save yours. Toothless and I will protect you, okay? You have nothing to worry about. You won't want for anything that's in my power to fulfill."

"Hiccup…you don't…" but Astrid couldn't speak, couldn't express her gratitude. For the first time, she had an ally, a friend, in her struggle against marriage to a man she couldn't stand in a town that considered her an outcast anyway. And for the friend to be someone like Hiccup…

It was beautiful in a way she couldn't find words too. For the first time, she wasn't alone.

000

Astrid could not get to sleep tonight, and it had everything to do with that damn feral kid.

Hiccup had stood on his own two feet for the first time today. It was nearly a month since he had broken his leg. Well, he hadn't really stood, per say; he had struggled upright while leaning heavily on Toothless for support. But his back had been straight and his head had been held high, beaming at Astrid like a man on top of the world. That was first time she noticed how tall he was, at least a head taller than she was. Sure, she had always known he was taller than her; his legs always stretched out so far in front of him, but this was the first time she had actually seen it. It also showed how gangly his limbs were still, bones still long in some places, but in others, muscle and fat had begun to settle into their final, proper places. He was abandoning the half-finished look of an adolescent and beginning to look more like an adult.

People had told Astrid back when she was young and engaged and thought kissing a boy was the epitome of disgustingness that one day she would change her mind and desire one. When she became an adult, that still hadn't happened, and Astrid had begun to think there was something wrong with her.

Until now.

Was this what desire felt like? Wanting a person in every sense of the word? That was the only word that came to mind when she thought of Hiccup: want. She wanted his smile, his quick brain, his annoyed pout, and the fire in his eyes when he spoke of finding his mother. She wanted all of it and she wanted to bottle it up and uncork that bottle whenever she had to return home at night. Astrid wanted his simple, logical reassurance when she and her parents would fight (a more common occurrence as of late), and she wanted…

Well, she wanted less innocent things too.

She wondered more than once what it would be like to kiss Hiccup, how it would feel to mold her body against his so tightly that she could feel every breath he took, every angle and curve. She wondered what sounds he would make if she tasted the tempting skin of his throat, or bit his collarbone hard enough to leave a mark, or sucked on his nipples-

Astrid whined in frustration, tearing the blankets off of herself and staring at the ceiling, the air unbearably thick for some reason. Her hair lay in a wild fluff ball around her head and all that separated her from the night was a nightshirt that went down to her ankles. Sweat beaded at her temples and a hot, aching pulsing had taken up residence in her groin. She had to get rid of it, but how? Could she…could she take care of it herself?

Well…the terms of her marriage said she couldn't have sex with anyone else, but it never said anything about pleasuring oneself. But truth be told, Astrid had never done such a thing before; she only knew that other girls did it sometimes, but never came out and said they did it because it was considered just as shameful as sex. And for a long time, Astrid had believed it. Plus, she had never felt the desire. Now however…

Hiccup had told her to free herself and besides her forbidden friendship with him, this was the only way she knew how. She may not be able to have sex with Hiccup, but in her mind anything was possible. She was probably…what did Hiccup call it? In heat. Yeah. Really, she was no better than an animal looking for a mate on the moors, panting and loins swollen with estrus.

So Astrid said to hell with duty and propriety and let her inner-she wolf howl a lustful cry that in her mind Hiccup heard and responded to. Her hand went between her legs and began a slow, languid rhythm, getting to know her textures and nerves and just appreciating the gift nature had given her.

Hiccup was all she saw that night, laying placidly on his back with knees bent up and a hand stroking himself. He was eyeing her desperately, face flushed and bangs sticking in damp strings to his temples. His lips were parted to let his frantic breaths in and out.

"Astrid," he whimpered, "Fuck me. Hurry please, I can't wait!"

"You want me?" she asked. She had let her hair down for him, she noticed. He was seeing everything because it was what she wanted.

"Yes, I want you! Fuck me, make me scream!"

In her mind, she heard the words, and on her bed, her hand sped up accordingly. She noticed that there was a particular place among her folds where the pleasure seemed to collect and throb harder than the rest, and Astrid flicked her thumb over the area.

Holy _shit!_

She…

She wanted to find whoever said self-pleasure was wrong and hit them over the head with a hammer. A big one.

"Astrid!" he cried.

Her hands and lips were all over him, licking the tender flesh of his thighs, burying her face between his legs and sampling his intimate, earthy scent, hugging his ribcage to her own and trying to draw him into her. She wanted to keep him safe, warm, and bring him pleasure forever. That was desire; wanting to make another person a part of you and wanting to become a part of them. Wishing to be nourished by their blood and their air and willing to do the same for them. Wanting them between your legs so they could see you fall apart at your most vulnerable moment, and even better, fall apart with you. _Because_ of you.

It was utterly wrong, but Astrid didn't want anyone between her legs but the outsider living in the shadows of Berk. As her nerves lit white hot and travelled with the force of lightning throughout her core, she didn't care if she was supposed to hate him.

"_Hiccup!"_

And naïve about love she may be, but Astrid was almost certain that one didn't cry out the name of a person they hated when their bodies finally achieved divine completion.


	4. Unfurling

That became part of her nightly ritual for the next several days. Yes, a part of it still felt shameful, but at the same time, touching herself and the extraordinary pleasure, as well as the fantasies that filled her mind, seemed to fill a part of Astrid she didn't know was empty before, as well as serve to make her feel more feminine and pretty than before. She was beginning to learn what made her tick and what made her a woman, and she found it very exciting.

A swing in her hips took up residence in her gait that hadn't been there previously, and it followed her all the way downstairs and out the door that morning on her way to the forest. Her visits were daily now, and she found she quite liked Hiccup greeting her like an over-enthusiastic puppy with Toothless in tow. They made her feel wanted, normal even.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Astrid halted, her shoulders slouching with irritation. She swung around in the middle of the street to regard Snotlout with undisguised contempt.

"Wherever I want," she growled, "You don't need to know. You're not my keeper."

"But someday I will be," he said as he came towards her.

Astrid backed away from him with a roll of her eyes and continued on her way.

"Hey!" he barked at her. Astrid stopped, but did not turn around. "Our parents are getting suspicious you know. What are you doing in the forest?"

Astrid snorted, but didn't miss a beat. "You want to follow me and find out?"

She didn't see the flicker of fear that passed over Snotlout's face, but she could imagine it well enough. However, it passed quickly, and was replaced by characteristic anger and arrogance. "Just remember," he said, "If I suspect anything, I can ask to have the wedding moved up, and there isn't anything you can do to stop that. 'You must give your virginity to the man you've bound yourself to,' that's what the contract says!"

Astrid said nothing, and instead continued on her way, leaving him behind in the cloud of anger and small-mindedness where he belonged.

Nonetheless, she couldn't suppress the anxiety that bubbled up in her throat. And not for the first time, she hated being born a woman and wished she could have been born a man.

If she were a man, she could have left this place a long time ago. Her parents would take what she said seriously perhaps and not blame it on her moon's blood or "typical female lunacy." If she didn't want to marry someone, she wouldn't have to. If she wanted to get married _at all_, it would have been taken into consideration.

Astrid felt so _helpless_. And it was such a stark contrast to her usual confidence that it scared her.

Her cloudy mood followed her into the forest, right up until Toothless bounded over to her, tail wagging and tongue lolling, going into play-bows and yipping excitedly as she approached. He leaped up and placed his paws on her chest, licking her face mercilessly until Astrid was reduced to a puddle of giggles that only made Toothless' tail wag harder.

After he backed off, Hiccup was revealed to her, walking on two legs with the splint gone. He was limping, but walking nonetheless. In fact, once her eyes met his, he brightened even further and quickened his pace to a stumbling run. He positively bounded around her, going into a play-bow similar to Toothless' before springing back up again with happy pants and whines.

"I can walk, Astrid!" he said breathlessly, "I can walk! Look look look"- 

"I see, Hiccup, don't hurt yourself!" Astrid replied, laughing just as hard.

But he ignored her, bouncing around her like a fawn and giggling with unrepressed joy. Astrid followed him with her eyes, spinning as she did so. He was honestly making her tired just watching him, but his happiness at being able to walk again was contagious, as if the sensation was just too big for his body and spread to hers as well.

Hiccup was suddenly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her partially from the ground, smushing his face into her neck. Astrid shrieked, but it didn't deter her laughter one bit, even when he put her down. Then the imp snapped his teeth shut near her ear in a sort of mock-bite and tugged at her head-cloth. She gasped and whipped around to smack him for his impertinence, but he had danced out of her reach, tilting his head at her. When she didn't move, Hiccup raced up to her again and again playfully yanked on the knots at the base of the cloth, threatening to take it off while having no intention of doing so. And once again, before she could reprimand him, he scampered out of range, laughing and smiling brighter than a star.

"You are such a little…" Astrid growled playfully, unable to come up with a good insult. But it didn't matter, because Hiccup's bangs began to fall over one of his eyes, and she only just noticed that about a million more freckles had popped up across the bridge of his nose, and she was lost in his stupid charm once more.

"Don't like it, come make me pay for it," Hiccup goaded her, falling into a crouch.

Astrid raised an eyebrow and shook her head in disbelief. The imp was trying to get her to chase him, to _play_ with him, as if they were children. And he was beginning to learn what buttons he had to push in order to get her to react. What a turd.

Without another word, she charged after him, and he sprang away like a frog, howling with delight while Toothless nipped at their heels, barking with mad glee.

Between his limp and her long dress, it didn't long before Astrid caught him, grabbing around his waist and pulling him backwards. However, she must have pulled a little too hard, because she sent them both down to the ground with a thump. Toothless snuffled at both of them, wiggling, and only relenting when Hiccup barked at him. When she regained her wits, she found that she was lying partially on her side while Hiccup lay heavily across her torso. Their limbs were tangled together, and it took a minute before they could separate them and Hiccup could push himself up on his hands and knees while Astrid rolled over on her back, placed a hand to her forehead and caught her breath. She gasped suddenly when her fingers came in contact with her hair. Wait, her _hair?_

Her head-cloth was gone.

It was then that Hiccup finished shaking his head and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he realized what Astrid did at that moment. His mouth stayed open as he took in her hair. It was still bound, but a few strands had come loose and hung in her eyes. He went completely still for a minute, before he reached forward, glancing between his fingers and her eyes, gauging her reaction. When she did nothing but flick her eyes to his hand and then back to his eyes, he tremulously brushed her hair away from her eyes with the backs of his fingers. Astrid didn't fail to notice how his face melted into a slow, opened mouthed grin. It was a look of wonder if she had ever seen one, the face of a child seeing a miracle for the first time and unable to do anything but worship its beauty. The look didn't fade as he let his fingers cautiously paw at her bangs, marveling at the silky softness and the bright, golden color.

That was what made Astrid smile back at him; his sense of worship and the fact that there was nothing lustful in his gaze. When most men in her village saw a girl with her hair uncovered accidently, the erection they got from it was almost painfully obvious. But with Hiccup, that was not the case. Snotlout made her hate being a woman and the powerlessness that came with it, but Hiccup made her proud to be a woman. He made her feel beautiful and powerful, soft, feminine and confident. She held a power over him that no one else did, a power to make his ever running mouth quiet and this look of _reverence_ to enter his eyes.

Astrid put her hands on the back of his head and gently brought it down closer to hers until eventually Hiccup was forced to lower himself onto his elbows and lay his chest on top of hers. The weight of him was warm and foreign, but not unwelcome. It made Astrid feel cozy and safe, and made her secret desire to draw him into her and keep him safe all the more real and plausible. She kept her eyes on his forehead as she played with his bangs, pulling a few more strands out of his braid and making him snort at her as they tickled his eyelids. A strange spell had fallen over them in which words were impossible to form and their breaths began to mingle between them. Everything had condensed into a silent cocoon of warmth neither was willing to escape from.

And then, very slowly, Hiccup dipped his head and touched his nose to her cheek, taking in her scent in long, heady drags. His nose went to her neck; his breath was warm and moist, and his eyes were closed in concentration. Astrid could feel his eyelashes tickle her skin. Hot prickles broke out in a constellation pattern in her body, and everything heated and melted at the unfamiliar sensation. Her body had no idea how to react, but she didn't want to pull away.

Hiccup's lips brushed her cheek, and Astrid's eyes closed, feeling nothing but him and the world she had created that only included the two of them. Lips were so sensitive; her skin must have felt so soft to him. Then, as if a voice deep inside him told him to do it, he licked her cheek tentatively.

Astrid's eyes opened, and she said his name softly to the trees overhead. Hiccup pulled away, and the worry in his eyes made her upset. Sure, she hadn't expected that, but at the same time…this was _Hiccup_. She just had to expect…different from him. And at the same time, she had to give different too.

She cupped his face in both hands, smiling encouragingly, and only made her move when he returned the smile. Astrid brought his face down, and began to nose at his cheek like he had done for her. Hiccup's breath caught, and she returned the lick, before pressing her lips against his skin in a kiss. With a breathy laugh, Hiccup responded by pushing his nose against her cheek and imitating her kiss, before he moved further down and began kissing down her jaw and over her ear, alternating with little licks and nuzzles. Astrid arched her neck, her body gravitating toward him, and her fantasies suddenly grew bones and blood of their own from the moon-shadow and longing they were born from. Without her consent, her throat produced a groan that Hiccup responded to with more intense, drawn out licks, his arms drawing her closer and her legs spreading to accommodate him…

'_You must give your virginity to the man you've bound yourself to,' that's what the contract says!_

And then the spell was broken. The heat was sucked away by cold, clear reality, and the sun motes blew away to reveal the fact that she was cheating on her fiancé. Astrid shivered, and her heart turned from its blissful, vibrant red to a cold grey. As gently as she could, she pushed Hiccup off her and crawled away. She sat on her knees a few feet away with her back to Hiccup, unable to look at him. Toothless appeared next to her and pushed his nose against her cheek, whining. He was holding her head-cloth in his mouth, and she took it from him with a word of thanks before tying it back on her head.

"What's the matter?" Hiccup asked, and the confusion in his voice was enough to stab at her heart. "Did I do something wrong?"

Her conscience growled _yes_ while her heart sang _no_. She shook her head. "I'm marrying someone, Hiccup."

The bitter disappointment in his voice was palpable. So was the hurt. "So you don't want to be _my_ mate? You said you don't like him."

"I _hate _him. But I don't want to be killed. You've done nothing wrong, Hiccup, except show me that there's another option for me other than the one I've been given my whole life. I'm angry at you for that."

Hiccup whined anxiously, as if still unable to see what the problem was. He was suddenly very afraid that she was going to leave him and began to move towards her with the intention of begging for forgiveness. He knew he wasn't in the wrong, but he would do anything so that she would stay. When Astrid heard the grass shift behind her, she got up, saying she had to go and that she would see him when she would see him. It was only then that she chanced a look over her shoulder, and saw a Hiccup that she hoped never to see again. This one was a stark contrast from the innocent, proud, puppy-like young man she had come to know over the past month. This Hiccup was lost and confused, even a little scared. He looked very small and alone, sitting in the grass by himself and looking up at her, brows drawn upward and fingers worrying at the blades beneath him. Astrid turned around and walked back home purposefully.

It had become too real, she told herself. Too real, and she hated her village more than ever.

000

Astrid supposed she really shouldn't be surprised by the sleet at this point in the year. Spring was like that. You had your deceiving warm days, and then your days that took you right back to the heart of winter.

What surprised her was that she was running outside barefoot in the stuff.

As soon as the sleet pounding against the walls had woken her later that evening, she had immediately thought of Hiccup and Toothless stuck outside with nothing but the thin, leafy walls of the thicket to protect them from the freezing rain, thrown on a cloak, and taken off towards the forest at a sprint. Luckily, she could have found the thicket in her sleep, and naturally found Hiccup and Toothless huddled together in a pathetic, shivering ball inside it. When they heard her outside, both of them perked their heads up, and Astrid noticed that they were soaked to their skin.

"Come with me," she said, "I'm taking you to my house tonight."

She didn't have to tell them twice before both of them scrambled out of the thicket and limped as fast as they could toward the village. Once they reached it, Astrid guided them, not to her house, which would probably attract the attention of her parents she said, but to the barn. Neither boy nor wolf put up an argument, and even helped to lift the latch on the barn door, before the three of them slipped inside.

Hiccup and Toothless shook themselves in similar fashion, even shaking their feet in hopes of getting rid of the wet. While Toothless' waterproof coat seemed to be doing its job, Hiccup was less lucky, and he could only stand there in the middle of the barn, teeth chattering hard and shivering even harder. Astrid ran up to him, cupping his face and forcing him to look at her so she could get a good look at him. His face was far too white and his lips were a dangerous shade of purple. His skin was icy to the touch, and strands of his hair were frozen. Immediately, Astrid made her way over to the ladder that led up to the loft.

"Get undressed," she called over her shoulder, "I'll get you some blankets to wrap up in and we'll dry you off."

She didn't stop to see if he was listening to her. Instead, she scurried up the ladder, and a moment later, blankets and furs were flying over the lip of the loft, startling Hiccup, Toothless, and a one sheep. When she climbed back down, Hiccup's clothes were in a soggy pile and he was wrapped up in just about every single blanket and fur Astrid had thrown down for him. Even his nose was covered, and all Astrid could see were his eyes and the wet tuft of his hair. She picked up the end of one of his blankets and used it to dry off his hair, ruffling it vigorously. Icy droplets spattered her face and she could hear the frost crinkle as it was rubbed off. When she was certain it was as dry as it was going to get, she dried off her own hair, which was bound back in a loose braid. However, even after a few minutes, Hiccup's shivers didn't abate, and the sound of the sleet pounding against the barn was as loud as ever.

"Come lay in the hay," Astrid said to him, "It'll be warmer."

Hiccup got up stiffly and followed her to the nearest pile, which was near where the horse was stabled. The corner smelled sweet and promised warmth Hiccup's body was incapable of producing at the moment. He collapsed in the pile without another thought, curling in on himself while Toothless wrapped himself around his boy.

Astrid stood there awkwardly for a moment, before Hiccup said through chattering teeth, "C-Could you…here, c-come here."

Unsure what he meant, she knelt down beside him, and without warning she was swallowed in several layers of blankets and pulled tightly against his shivering body. Hiccup buried his face inside the blankets to press into shoulder, his nose icy cold against her skin and his breaths just as frigid. Once Astrid could finally find it in herself to appreciate her current situation, she found that Hiccup had in fact left only one blanket or so between them, and that he was indeed oh so very naked underneath that one blanket or so. Her nightdress was also not made of the thickest material in the world, and this was probably the reason she felt the cold radiating off him so strongly. However, Hiccup was not concerned about either of their states of dress at the moment. He was only grateful for Astrid's warm body and wondering how closely he could snuggle against her so that he could soak up her heat as fast as possible.

Many minutes passed that were filled with nothing but the sounds of the elements raging and their breathing. A comfortable temperature began to build up in the blankets that was only enhanced by the hay, and Hiccup was soon toasting happily. Comfortable and cozy at last, he sighed a heavy, warm breath against her neck, a sound that communicated his sudden drowsiness and utter contentedness. Astrid felt his ribs expand and collapse with stunning clarity, his diaphragm press against her side and his blood thrum under his skin from the sudden rush of oxygen. His arms were wrapped around her to meet at her upper back while his legs had tangled with hers. He surrounded her like he had that afternoon, and Astrid let herself indulge in that forbidden world again, the world where it was just the two of them.

Why did Hiccup have to make things so difficult and wonderful all at once, and why did she let him? He became a hope she couldn't afford and desperately needed if she wanted to survive. The air she breathed became his stubble scraping against her nightgown and collarbone, his eyes blinking against her neck, his body angling where hers curved. He had scraped out her cold, dead insides and replaced it all with his warmth and light. There was music where there had been silence, dancing instead of death.

Her heart and body had chosen him completely without a care for her own life, and her mind, though it snarled the whole way, could only follow, hopelessly needing him.

Hiccup's head popped up from underneath the blankets, and his eyes were trying to catch hers. Astrid met his gaze, and caught the hurt that still lingered, allowing it to sting her as it rightfully should.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Astrid barely stopped herself from doing a double take. _He_ was sorry? What the hell for?

"I got too excited. I shouldn't have done that while you're supposed to be marrying someone else. I just thought…you were smiling and you seemed happy, so…"

His eyes brimmed with shame, and he bowed his head submissively. "You hate the men in your village. I didn't mean to act like one of them."

Astrid gasped. How dare he…?

A hot, undeniable fury flashed through her, and before she could stop herself, she punched him in the ribs. Hard.

Hiccup yelped and laid both hands over the place where she had hit him. He only looked up at her when her voice caught his attention, though the shock didn't leave his face. She had practically reared up in the blankets like some avenging creature of doom, lightning crackling in her eyes.

"You are an _ass!_" Astrid exclaimed furiously, "A stupid, stupid ass! I can't believe you'd even _think_ to compare yourself to these men who rape little girls, damn the wedding rings they put in their fingers and the dowry they use to purchase them. I don't ever want to hear you lower yourself that much again, do you hear me? Especially for something that's my fault!"

Whether by wisdom or the sheer volume of her words, Hiccup remained speechless.

"I was the one who pushed you off and told you we couldn't be mates! I was the one who hurt _you!_" Don't you get it, that's why I hit you, because you're so stupid!"

And then she was wrenching him up by his shoulders, a squeak escaping him and Toothless flying out from underneath him as a result. He tensed, waiting for another blow.

Then…

…then…oh…

….her lips were on his, and they were anything but harsh. They were soft, terribly unsure, but sincere. At least, that's what she hoped she was communicating to him. Her nose bumped his and she had nicked her teeth on her upper lip, and truth be told she had no idea how to properly kiss someone and she was positive Hiccup didn't either, but she hoped the sentiment got across. When Hiccup didn't respond, Astrid pulled away, so embarrassed she almost didn't catch how his eyes had shut and his lips followed after hers. She was hot and tingling in fifty different ways she didn't understand and blamed Hiccup for each and every one of them.

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and he rasped after a moment, "And what was that for?"

Astrid shook her head sharply in disbelief. "What?" she asked flatly.

"You said you hit me because you didn't want me blaming myself for something that was your fault. What was…what you just did for?"

"I just kissed you. Sort of."

"Oh."

"And I did it because I want to retract my previous statement about…not wanting to be your mate. That was never true. I was just afraid. But I'm not anymore."

"…Oh. Okay."

Awkward silence passed between the two of them again, and it was only then that Astrid realized her heaving chest was pressed against Hiccup's, and the neck of her nightdress was hanging rather low. Naturally, when things had grown quiet he had noticed this as well and his eyes had flickered to the gap. Sighing in exasperation, Astrid lifted his chin with her fingers, and he met her gaze with a guilty blush.

"So…we're mates now?" he asked.

"Yes," Astrid nodded, "Which means you can kiss me again, if you want."

He swallowed audibly, Adam's apple bobbing with the motion, and though she didn't know it, his whole body burst into hot tingles that made up galaxies of excitement and nervousness all at once in him. Nonetheless, Hiccup stretched up his neck and pressed their lips together again.

This time, Astrid tilted her head and let her lips go lax, and found that Hiccup did the same. She stopped trying to resist and just let it begin, let _them_ begin. The more she let go of herself, the easier it was to show what she wanted. Their lips began to move against each other, searching, curious, pliant. Hiccup pulled back for a second and ran his tongue over his lips, tasting her, before his trembling heart decided he needed more, much more. He suddenly grabbed her head with both hands and brought her lips back down to his with a heated breath.

It was the kiss of an awkward adolescent, and what made it so wonderful to Astrid was that Hiccup wasn't trying to cover up his awkwardness. He saw it as an experience to share with someone who was in the same position as he was. He was so sweet, breaking off the kisses to nuzzle her cheek or let her lick his nose playfully. And he was so curious, the searching quality quite evident to this new sensation of "kissing" in the slow way he took things, learning how to move his lips in rhythm with hers, that she liked it when he stroked her neck with the backs of his fingers, that she quite obviously liked the noise he made when she nibbled on his bottom lip.

This defied everything they had ever known. It was freedom and it was the budding of a new, never-fading flower that would take root in the clouds.

Far from begin a farewell, as they had feared this afternoon, it was much more of a beginning than they could have ever hoped for.

_I will watch you through these nights_

_Rest your head and go to sleep_

_Because my child, this not our farewell._

_This is not our farewell. – Our Farewell, Within Temptation_


	5. A Treasure Lies In the Evening

**A/N: I am sooooo very sorry that I disappeared off the face of the Earth. I just lost it for a while with this story, but I do genuinely want to finish it because I have a really good ending for it. For those of you who haven't given up on it, thanks so much! I hope I can get more up soon! But for now, have some nice smut to tide you over. **

_If I tell you, will you listen?_

_Will you stay?_

_Will you be here forever?_

_Never go away? – Bittersweet, Within Temptation_

The weeks passed in a blur of muddy spring days that melted into warm summer nights filled with shy giggles, fireflies, and even more kisses. Many more. Astrid felt her soul bind itself tighter and tighter to that of the wolf boy, and his in turn bound itself to hers. Autumn leaves began to fall before they knew it, and Astrid knew without a doubt that she loved him, loved him so much that it was a physical ache. She had found her haven, and she had no plans to let it go.

Her parents, however, had begun to grow suspicious. Astrid suspected that Snotlout tipped them off, but she couldn't prove it. Their arguments escalated until her parents proclaimed that she wouldn't be allowed to leave the house without an escort from now on. She was to do her chores (which had become quite numerous now, probably an attempt to fill her free time so that she couldn't wander off) and then come straight home. And unfortunately, the village was tightly knit, so Astrid had many pairs of eyes on her at any given time of the day.

But Hiccup didn't let that stop him. When he found out that she couldn't visit him during the day anymore, he decided that he would visit her at night from now on.

When Astrid had been a little girl, her mother had liked to read fairytales to her. Though the stories had long since stopped (apparently ten was when she was considered "too old for such ridiculous fluff") they never left her.

When she was with Hiccup, it was like being inside one of those impossible stories. He reminded her of the brave men that would sail to the edges of the Earth for the women they loved. In fact, she told him so one evening after her parents had gone to bed and she had snuck him in through her window.

He crept in silently, blending in with the night breeze. Astrid greeted him in her nightgown, and Hiccup in turn greeted her with an enthusiasm only he could pull off. He bumped their foreheads together while making little chuffing noises and dropping kisses all over her face and hair. He nuzzled her neck and twined his body all around hers like a cat while Astrid could only sigh and return his kisses as best she could. He really was a pup in human skin.

When he had caught sight of her bed, a strange expression passed over his face, and unbeknownst to her, he was focusing on how heavily her scent collected in this room and especially her bed. This place was so intimate; it was where she slept every night, her "nest." And she had invited him to sleep here. Her smell was everywhere, and it was all Hiccup could do not to just instinctively rub his body all over her blankets like some territorial animal. It would be a warning to other males that would clearly state, "mine. She's mine. Back off." A claim in every sense of the word, one that he was unaware Astrid probably wouldn't have minded.

Instead, he flopped on her bed and laid so that his head hung over the edge and he looked at her upside down. Astrid rolled her eyes at the silly grin he gave her, and shoved him aside so that she could get into bed. Hiccup eagerly crawled up beside her, placing his head under her chin and snorting playfully.

Like she said. A pup.

But he also reminded her of someone else.

"You remind me of the man in the story about the Dragon Prince," she said as she pulled the blankets up over them, "Ever heard that one?"

"Mmm," Hiccup nodded, "Mama used to tell me that story. Really? I remind you of Palomar?" He snuggled down next to her so that he could look her in the eyes, smiling crookedly.

"Well, how I imagined him at least." She couldn't resist curling into his chest and pressing her cold nose into his neck. She felt him shiver and swallow. "Everyone wanted to kill dragons and he wanted to protect them."

Hiccup curled around her protectively and wrapped a leg around hers. One hand slid up Astrid's calf slowly, reverently. "And then he falls in love with the village's crazy girl."

"She's not crazy though," Astrid said, "She's deaf. No one knew that. But Palomar sees past that, sees that's she's beautiful instead of insane. He rescues her from a village that's against her."

"And then they fly off on a dragon over the ocean together."

"…Yeah."

A silence fell over them that was filled only by a strange, protective energy that suddenly swelled in Hiccup's chest and manifested in him wrapping his arms around Astrid and pulling her closer.

"My mama told me it's an instinct in men to want to protect women," he whispered, "So all I can think is the men here must be diseased."

Astrid had no reply for this. An instinct? She had never thought of it that way before, mostly because she had been unable to. She would have believed Hiccup more if he had said it was an instinct in men to dominate women in every way.

"What makes your mother think that?" she wondered.

"Well…women are smaller and softer. They have higher voices and carry babies for the men. I mean I'd…" he swallowed, and said very softly, "I'd _kill_ to keep you safe. I would."

A pause. And then he said something that made tears prick in her eyes.

"Well, I'll be your Palomar. I'll get you out of this village."

"Stupid," Astrid shook her head, her throat tight, "That's impossible."

And Hiccup said nothing, because he knew she was right.

Astrid sniffed and growled, the by now familiar feeling of being angry at the rising once more. Fairytale endings didn't happen; the girl could never end up with the man she loved and freedom was just a fanciful concept. But instead of allowing herself to sink under the despair of it all, she decided to spit in the face of it.

So, tears welling up in her eyes, she began to kiss up Hiccup's neck, surprised by how soft and delicate the skin was. And Hiccup was evidently very surprised by the sudden appearance of her lips in such a sensitive area, gasping in surprise and pleasure. Then, he went very still and let her do what she would, unaware of the dark, fierce anger brewing in her slight frame and the affection for him that burned just as brightly behind it. She took a deep breath, allowing his scent to fill her head and make her dizzy. She would become lost and drown in all that he was; his beauty, his kindness, his compassion, his utter loyalty and desperate devotion.

She would claim it with fevered intent and no remorse.

"Everyone here can go to hell for all I care," she breathed, pushing the neck of his shirt aside, "You're mine, and I'm yours. They can't tell me who I belong to." She swirled her tongue on the skin of his shoulder, and he buried his nose in her hair. His eyes were heavy lidded and he groaned softly, letting her words wash over him. They felt like a torrent of rain after a long drought.

Astrid began to lift his shirt, and he pulled it off the rest of the way without hesitation. Hiccup's hands roamed across her back and kept her in place, dropping feverish half-kisses on her temple.

"I love you," she murmured breathlessly, kissing his chest, "I love you because you saved me."

Her tongue flicked over one of his nipples, and he let loose an explosive breath, blood rushing and roaring to collect between his thighs. "I did?"

"You did. You freed me." Astrid returned to his lips, holding the back of his head firmly while she cannibalized his mouth. Hiccup whimpered, a helpless slave to her passion, an animal who could only obey his instincts. And his instincts told him that there was a female in heat who was touching him in such a way that clearly stated she was interested in mating. He let her place him on his back without breaking their kiss, holding her by her shoulders.

She broke away when the need to breathe became too much, but left their lips touching.

"Let me thank you, Hiccup," she begged, "Let me love you."

Without hesitation, Hiccup claimed her mouth again, digging his fingers into her loose braid. Her nightgown began to fall low on her shoulders, and Hiccup ran his hands over the soft, warm skin. Pulling away again, Astrid whispered a request in his ear for him to take off his pants. In response, he pulled her face down and kissed her cheek before nuzzling her. She got off him so that he could undo his ties and wriggle out of his pants, before the garment itself was dropped onto her floor. He rolled on his side, blankets still covering him. Astrid moved close to him again, laying alongside him, and pressed her forehead against his.

Nervousness and crippling shyness gripped her for a moment, and for some reason Astrid was happy that he kept the blankets around his waist. Seeing the naked male body and all it symbolized was a scary thing, at least according to everything she had been taught. A pair of broad shoulders and a penis equaled power, and the part of her that had been taught to be submissive quailed under that knowledge. Yet, in that moment, all she had to do was pull back and look at the face that was attached to the body; it was still Hiccup, with eyes as warm as his skin. He bowed his head, sensing her nervousness, and placed an encouraging, yet incredibly tender kiss on her neck. That confirmation was all she needed. He was her gentle pup, and was not stupid enough to force her to do anything she didn't want to do.

Slowly, her hand traveled down his side, leaving goose-bumps in its wake and making Hiccup shiver. His breath came in heavy bursts, body aching with anticipation. Astrid allowed herself to experience his different textures; the coolness of his flank, the scratchiness of the coarse hair that surrounded his sex, and the burning heat of his sex itself. Hiccup drew in a shuddering breath when her hand closed around it, and breathed out a moan when her hand began to move. After a moment, he grabbed her wrist gently, guiding her hand and placing his cheek against her shoulder. Astrid let him show her how he liked to be touched, encouraging her through delicious hums and rough shivers, through frantic kisses against her neck and desperate, heated whispers.

As she sped up her hand, his hips began to roll into her grip, and something in Astrid recognized the motion and wanted it between her thighs, wanted him to possess her and take her like a dog takes a bitch in heat. She needed him as she needed water, or air, and she couldn't breathe under the force of that realization.

"More," Hiccup begged, _"More."_

Astrid didn't really know how she could give him more. Hell, she doubted Hiccup knew either. Lost in his own pleasure as he was, he only knew that he wanted _something_ and he wanted it _now_.

"I-I don't…" Astrid stammered helplessly, to which Hiccup could only whine in frustration and rock his hips faster. A hot, hard ball of blazing tension was settling in his groin, setting his thighs to trembling and his bladder to boiling. Completely on accident, her hand slid further down than it had thus far, grazing over his sack.

"That!" Hiccup gasped, "There, there, there, all of it!"

"What?" Astrid had no idea what he meant.

"_Please_…"

Confused but wanting to please him, she gave his hot, heavy balls a squeeze, to which Hiccup nearly jumped clean off the bed and stuck his fist in his mouth, trying to muffle his cries. And then, with another squeeze to the sack and a few swift strokes to his length, she suddenly felt a warm, sticky something coat her hand. Drawing it out from under the blankets, she examined the white substance curiously, skin shining wetly in the moonlight. Hiccup was looking up at her like she was a goddess who had blessed him with her presence, sides heaving and forehead damp with sweat. After turning her hand over one way and the other a few times, she brought it up to her nose and inhaled. A dark, heady, and potent scent made her nose tingle, and those tingles traveled straight down to her groin. This was him, his essence, a smell meant to entice something as base and wonderful as arousal, and before Astrid could stop herself, she gave her fingers a curious lick.

Hiccup moaned shakily, and the sound made her look down at him. He was still coming down from his release, but that didn't stop him from pulling her face down to his and kissing her wetly. He wanted to thank her for making him feel so good, so he made his kiss as sincere as he could, and Astrid felt it. Unknown to her, he could taste himself on her tongue, and though the taste wasn't very pleasant, what it signified made a fresh flush of arousal pool hotly in his lower belly.

Suddenly, a huge calamity of running footsteps and doors slamming open thundered outside, and the two of them sat straight up in bed, instantly alert. They stared out the window, watching as every house visible to them turned on their lanterns and came flying out of their houses with sod-off shotguns, pitchforks, sickles, and whatever other weapons they owned. Hiccup quickly began to get dressed while Astrid continued to watch, wondering what her village was responding to.

It didn't take long for her to figure it out, because a few moments later, dozens of moving shapes began to race by her window, the sounds of panting and growling accompanying them. Their size and the sounds they made could only mean that they were wolves, but what on earth were they doing here, and in such numbers? Hiccup came to stand beside her, fully clothed, and the two of them glanced at each other worriedly before they leapt out her window and hopped from shadow to shadow until they came to a stop behind a house near the middle of the town square.

Then Astrid saw the answer to her question.

They watched as a tall silhouette rose up from the middle of the pack, which had come to a stop, and so did the villagers. As they shouted abuse at the stranger, the moon shifted from out behind a cloud to cast a pallor on the figure and take it out of its silhouette.

The instant it did, Hiccup gave a small cry beside Astrid, and his eyes widened into twin windows of horror and disbelief. He gasped a single word that made her blood freeze in her veins.

"Mama."


	6. The Promise

**A/N: I have a headcannon that the reason Hiccup calls his mother "mama" instead of mom is because it was what he called her since he could speak, and there was no society to tell him only little kids called their moms "mama." Valka thought it was sweet, so she didn't correct him. I think of my version of feral!Hiccup as an experiment of someone who was never introduced to societal expectations and only ever had the influence of his mother, nature and the pack**.

"MAMA!"

"Shhh!"

Hiccup had lunged from the shadowed corner where he and Astrid were hiding, only to be dragged backward by the scruff of his neck with one of her hands over his mouth. His eyes flickered to her face with a questioning, "Mmm?"

"If you run out there, they'll kill you," Astrid hissed.

Hiccup shook his head and tried to pry her fingers off his mouth, but they only clamped down harder. In a last effort, he tried to bite her hand, and she shook him gently. Toothless appeared a moment later, drawn in by the sound of his friend's cries and the howls of the pack. He sat next to Hiccup, likewise, tugging him back by his sleeve.

"Let's just see what she does," she said rationally.

Hiccup whined in frustration, but settled back on his haunches anyway, not taking his eyes off the black silhouette that had attracted the attention of everyone in the village. Astrid in turn removed her hand from his mouth, opting to watch with him.

The figure of Hiccup's mother was finally revealed when the moonlight passed over her. She was indeed every bit as tall and regal as her outline had suggested, and Astrid gasped softly when she realized that the boy next to her was the spitting image of this woman; same russet hair, same eyes, same long face, same wiry frame. It was astonishing.

The wolves drew in tight around her, growling uneasily. There actually weren't as many as Astrid thought at first, only about seven. Eight, if she counted Toothless, but he didn't look like he any plans to join his pack anytime soon, choosing instead to press his body against Hiccup's. Hiccup's mother barked once, commandingly, and the wolves ceased their growling. They sat down obediently, and looked up at her expectantly. That was when Astrid figured it out; she was their alpha. Oh gods…

Hiccup's mother strode forward to stand in front of her pack, head held high and shoulders pushed back. Her lips were pursed as she scanned the villagers, her eyes flicking back and forth. No one said anything for a moment, unsure of what she would do. Then, a voice Astrid recognized floated over the crowd.

"You couldn't be…" That was Astrid's mother, "Valka?"

The tall woman turned around to stare at her, features pinched with irritation.

"You died eighteen years ago!" Astrid's mother continued, "That's what we thought."

Valka just raised an eyebrow, clearly saying without even opening her mouth, _Obviously, you thought wrong._

"What are you doing here now, of all times?" Astrid's father said that, "You're not looking for your husband, are you? Because I can assure Stoick _is _dead. Killed him myself. Shame on you for letting a man so valuable as that sacrifice his life so that a traitorous whore like you could escape."

Hiccup growled harshly in his throat, bared his teeth, and leapt forward again, only for Astrid and Toothless to drag him back again. He fought them for a moment, spitting with fury, before ceasing his struggles.

Valka smirked at him, but it was half-hearted. "You're not wrong," she said evenly, "My husband did sacrifice himself for me. He lead all of you away from me so that I could take our son and escape this wretched cage. And he was valuable, but not how you may think. He was valuable because he was a treasure among the filth of this place. He had a heart worth ten times its weight in gold, and Berk hasn't seen his kind before or since. Except of course, in our son."

"Your son?" Spitelout wondered, "So he's alive as well? Hmph, a whore to raise a whoreson. Where is he then?"

Valka's upper lip curled back. "Shut up! I'd rather my son and I die in the wild among wolves than live among savage hypocrites like all of you!" The wolves behind her growled in agreement.

"If she's here," Snotlout said, "that must mean her kid is around here too."

A flash of worry passed over Hiccup's mother's face, but she smothered it quickly. "Obviously not, or I would have found him by now."

"Only one way to find out," Astrid's father said, "The Acks and Ingermans, search the village for the boy. The rest of you, get ready to use those guns and pitchforks."

"No," Hiccup whispered in horror. Astrid felt her stomach drop straight to the center of the Earth.

One wolf nearest to the crowd yelped in pain, and the sharp tang of blood wafted into the air. After that, all hell broke loose. Wolves sprang into the crowd, teeth flashing, and hackles raised, trying to protect their alpha. Valka started dodging pitchforks that were being thrown and smashing guns that were aimed at her. Villagers were roaring, women were screaming and running, and dust was clouding up everywhere. All the while, it was becoming apparent that there were fewer snarls among the shouts as time went on. There were several shrieks of pain, almost one after the other, and then silence.

And then the crowd cleared. At their feet were all seven pack members, every one of them dead.

Toothless whimpered, and the sound was echoed by Hiccup. Astrid felt his body vibrate hard next to hers, whether it was in grief or anger, or both, she didn't know. His face had drained of all color, and he looked like he wanted to look away, but was unable to.

Valka, who had kicked off one of the villagers not too far away, took one look at her wolves, and released a scream of fury and heartbreak. Someone shot at her, but she sprang away in the nick of time. She crawled up onto someone's low set roof, holding a stolen pitchfork. Once she was standing again, she leaned back and took aim with her weapon.

Turned out the roof she had chosen was directly across from Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless' hiding spot.

And her sharp eyes caught those of her son's the exact moment she readied her weapon.

She froze and gasped, and someone took that moment to fire their shotgun. They hit home in her abdomen, and Valka crumpled before she tumbled forward off the rooftop into the awaiting sea of angry villagers.

Hiccup's eyes had slowly widened throughout the whole ordeal, and when his mother went down, he couldn't help it.

He screamed.

"MAMA! No, ma-!"

Astrid's hand clamped down over his mouth again, muffling the rest of his cry. But he shook her off easily. Powered by terror and raw grief, he was as strong as a wild pony. So, Astrid figured she had to treat him like one. With a quick apology, she wrestled Hiccup to the ground with Toothless' help, pushing him down on his belly and sitting on his back. She covered him with her body so that she could cover his mouth again. He bucked and kicked, but Astrid was immovable.

"I'm sorry," she rasped, "Hiccup, please, someone will hear you."

There really wasn't any heat in her voice. There couldn't be, not when Hiccup continued to scream through her hand like that. Her thumbs suddenly became very wet, and she realized with dismay that he was crying.

"Throw her in the field," a villager said, "A traitor doesn't deserve to be buried. It'll give the crows good sport."

And then they were lifting Valka's body, tossing her over someone's shoulder. Astrid followed their movement, turning her head so far around to watch them that she almost snapped her neck. She watched as they emptied themselves of their burden in the tall grass, and then came back, sauntering and joking as if they had just enjoyed a rousing game of kickball.

Then she remembered the other families that had been told to search for them. And if that wasn't enough, she saw Mrs. Ingerman and Mr. Ack floating in the shadows of the house diagonal to them.

"We have to leave," Astrid whispered.

She stood up very carefully, and the instant she was clear of his body, Hiccup sprang up, dazedly and frantically looking for his mother. His tears shone in the moonlight, Astrid noticed, and his eyes were red and his nose was dripping. He was a sorry sight, and her chest felt tight and sick.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his wrist.

She led him to the field, but did not take him to his mother's body immediately. Instead, she hid all three of them in a patch of tall grass, waiting for the villagers to go back home, or at least find something to distract their attention away from the field.

Once the last of their lights flickered off, and even the search party that had been sent after them went home, Astrid deemed it safe enough to come out of hiding. And not a moment too soon, because she even get to finish telling Hiccup it was safe now, before his eyes were scanning the field for his mother.

The look on his face when he found her was enough to make Astrid wish her heart would stop beating then and there.

"Mama! Mama!" Hiccup ran as fast as he could, stumbling a few times because he seemed to have forgotten about his limp but not caring. Air seared his lungs as his throat was squeezed shut by the hand of Horror and Shock. "MAMA!"

He fell on his knees hard beside his mother, panting her name over and over in a desperate litany, hoping to rouse her. Astrid and Toothless sat down beside him watched, frozen, as Hiccup began to place his hands all over his mother's body and rub his face against hers, whining and voice wet with tears. There were a thousand emotions rocketing every which way through him that threatened to tear him apart. He couldn't lose the most important person in his life, the only and greatest source of human love he had ever known, the person who had nurtured his little, vulnerable body into something strong, he couldn't, he couldn't-

"Hey now."

Hiccup lifted his face from his mother's neck and stared. Her eyes were open and her mouth was quirked into something like a smile. She reached a hand up and passed it through his hair.

"There's my pup," Valka said in a raspy voice, "You were here? After I looked everywhere for you?"

Hiccup nodded hard and he buried his face in his mother's neck again, voice coming out muffled when he spoke. "I'm sorry! I won't ever leave again, I promise! I tried looking for you, I did. I love you mama, I'm sorry."

"Oh stop." Valka weakly tried to nuzzle him back, and Astrid watched her face pinch with pain. "I was never angry with you. Good thing Toothless was with you though; he's a good boy."

Hiccup sobbed helplessly and sat up, pressing his hands against the blood spot growing at her abdomen. Without a word, Astrid tore off a large strip from the bottom of her dress, nudged Hiccup's hands out of the way and tied it as best as she could over the wound. Valka's gaze rolled down to rest on Astrid.

"And who is this?" she wondered.

Hiccup sniffed, "Astrid. She's my mate. She's done so much for me…I wouldn't be alive if she hadn't…"

"You don't need to explain anything," his mother assured him, and then smiled at the girl, "She's lovely."

Astrid cleared her throat and stammered, "T-Thank you."

Valka shuddered, and a fresh rush of blood came pouring out, soaking Hiccup's hands. He gave a soft cry of dismay, and Astrid quickly tore off another piece of her dress and pressed over Hiccup's hands with it, trying to stifle the flow. He felt his mother sigh, and looked over at her face again.

"Hiccup," she said his name softly, and in such a way that made him absolutely ill with fear.

"Don't," he barked.

"Hiccup," she insisted, and Hiccup shook his head hard.

"I don't want to hear it, mama."

"Hear what?"

Hiccup's shoulders shook with a repressed sob. "…Your goodbyes. You're going to be okay. We're going to save you, and then we'll go home."

Valka shook her head. Her face was white, and her lips were slowly losing color. "Dearheart…"

"Stop it! You can't, mama. You can't! You can't leave me!"

She reached up and took one of his bloodied hands, holding it on top of her heart. He placed his other hand on top, gripping her hand in both of his. He was biting his lip so hard he was drawing blood. "I won't leave you," she said, "Not really. I'd never leave my little pup. You just won't be able to see me. I'll tell your dad you said hello, yeah? Now, it's alright, shh…"

His mother shushed him as he crumpled forward helplessly, a wail escaping him as he buried his face in her neck. Astrid removed her hands from her wound, knowing it was hopeless, and instead opted to place a hand on Hiccup's back. Her eyes met Valka's again, the two of them listening to Hiccup's sobs and each of their hearts breaking. No amount of shushing and endearments from his mother would be enough to console him this time.

"Protect him," she rasped, "He's my baby. And…don't let this place become your cage, dear."

And Astrid could only feel her heart simultaneously swell and choke. But she narrowed her eyes determinedly, and nodded. "With my life. And…"

Valka's eyes began to flutter shut, and Astrid hurried on. "You raised a good boy. His dad would be very proud of him. His sacrifice wasn't in vain; I won't let it be. And I…I'll break free. I'll find a way, or die trying. I promise."

The older woman smiled and sighed again, allowing her eyes to shut. She murmured a few last comforts to her son, and then she went still. Hiccup drew back and sat up, and when he saw that his mother wasn't breathing anymore, he let out a raw, animalistic howl of grief that pulled itself straight from his gut. His tears flowed like twin rivers, and he cried his mother's name over and over again. Unable to stand it, Astrid pulled him against her, crushing him against her. Hiccup clung to her so hard that she had trouble breathing, and he buried his face against her stomach. His wretched cries filled her senses, and his grief sunk through her skin. His tears, hot and potent, soaked through her dress quickly and clogged her throat. Astrid stroked his hair and raised her face to the moon, letting its cold light wash over her.

"I'll protect him," she whispered, nothing answered her except for Hiccup's pleas for his mother, and Toothless' howls of mourning, but those too wouldn't ever be acknowledged.

_I held you tight to me,_

_You slipped away._

_You promised to return to me,_

_And I believed, I believed – The Promise, Within Temptation _


End file.
